In travel diaries, you don’t often get to read from the perspective of a mother with two young children. Ayun Halliday, under the pretense of a diary written from this neglected POV, corners her readers with forty closely written quarter pages about her spawn’s likes and dislikes, how grouchy her husband is, and how talented she herself is. There are occasional observations and insights into the Balkan countries she and her family have visited buried in packing lists and references to the author’s earlier and possible future works. The largest problem with this volume of The East Village INKY is that Halliday’s writing doesn’t evoke the sense of time, place, and distance that makes for great travel writing. The physical format is engaging, with cartoons and text boxes breaking up the cramped printing. Though the layout’s often random seeming and difficult to follow, there are moments when the chaos aligns and something truly clever emerges. All in all, though, Halliday’s produced something more like a resume than a travel zine, more portfolio piece than joy to read. (J. Blackmore)
zine, Ayun Halliday, issue #35, $3.00, PO Box 22754, Brooklyn NY, 11202 [email protected], www.AyunHalliday.com